Wood which has been impregnated with a non-swelling vinyl-type monomer and cured by radiation or by heat and a catalyst has been described in, for example, Kirk-Orthmer, "Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology," Second Edition, Volume 22, 1970, page 381; or "Ullmanns Encyklopaedie der technischen Chemie," Fourth Edition, Volume 12, Weinheim, 1976, page 724, as being plastic wood. Generally, the wood is impregnated with a monomer such as a methacrylate ester or a prepolymer, such as a methacrylate ester prepolymer and thereafter the methacrylate ester monomer or prepolymer is polymerized.
In comparison to the plastic wood prepared heretofore, the plastic wood prepared in accordance with this invention is more resistant to water and ultraviolet light.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide polymer impregnated wood having improved resistance to water. Another object of this invention is to provide polymer impregnated wood having improved resistance to ultraviolet light. A further object of this invention is to provide polymer impregnated wood containing a polymerized organic compound and a crosslinked organopolysiloxane.